Thursday, June 28

Cherry Orchards

Up until last week, the closest I had ever gotten to a cherry orchard was reading Anton Chekhov's masterpiece, The Cherry Orchard. And if you're familiar with that play, you know it doesn't end happily for the family or the cherry trees.

Thankfully, life is much happier in the state of Washington, especially the Leavenworth region, where scores of cherry orchards heavy with fruit line the highways. A fully fruited cherry tree is gorgeous — the clusters of cherries are dramatically suspended from branches, like firework starbursts.

Despite having eaten over three pounds of cherries in three days while we were in Washington, we're still craving them. So last night I made Smashed Cherries, Amaretti and Ricotta, a delightful, no-cook summer dessert from Cheryl Sterman-Rule's new cookbook, Ripe: A Colorful Approach to Fruits and Vegetables. I had tested this recipe for Cheryl last year and have made it numerous times since. No doubt, you will too.

If you'd like to learn more about Cheryl's book, then please see my full review at One For The Table, which also includes a tasty recipe for Radish and Olive Crostini.

Thwack the cherries with the flat side of a heavy knife so they flatten. Discard the pits. Divide the cherries among 4 pretty, clear glasses.

In a small bowl, stir together the ricotta, sugar, milk, and almond extract. Spoon pillows of ricotta over the cherries in equal proportions. Crumble one amaretti cookie over each serving and sprinkle with the cacao nibs. Serve immediately.

14 comments:

As a child, I'd eat so many cherries, my mom would tell me she could swear she saw little round balls in my tummy. I still love them, although I can rally some restraint these days. The chocolate cherry combo sounds delightful, one fruit/chocolate marriage I've yet to try.

I grew up in an area that used to be all cherry orchards, but alas, is now all tech companies (Silicon Valley). I miss being able to sneak into cherry orchards on my way home from school and grabbing a cherry or two!

I'm going to assume that the first ingredient of 4 cups is cherries? Sounds like a wonderfully simple but tasty recipe to use cherries in (and a perfect excuse to go buy a bag of amaretti cookies, a favorite of mine).

I actually made this dessert, and have to say that it was not that impressive. The Cheese mixture is tasty, but cherries were a mess to smash, even though I used a zip-loc bag. It was only "ok" for the effort.